Post by Negaduck on Feb 2, 2019 11:11:42 GMT -5

Ah, home, sweet home. Or maybe lair, sweet lair. In this case, the lair in question was hidden in one of the abandoned nightclubs on the strip in Pleasure Island. Or what use d to be Pleasure Island. Now it was just so much empty space. But that suited Negaduck perfectly. He needed a hideout away from the screaming masses, where he could plot in peace. And since his last hideout at River Country was compromised, this dump would have to fill the bill. But the dilapidation suited his dark moods. So here he stayed, only venturing forth to get food and create mayhem.

Today Negs was working on a new project, putting together a device with spare parts cannibalized from leftover junk found at Pleasure Island, augmented with stuff stolen from the rest of the parks. The crime boss was a pretty good gadgeteer, though he preferred to steal the tech of others whenever possible.

If this thing worked as he planned, it would spell trouble for a lot of sappy tourists. The thought brought a smile to Negaduck's oversized bill.

Post by Gadget on Feb 3, 2019 12:47:23 GMT -5

It took a while to get to Pleasure Island. Gadget could've come faster in her plane, but then she would've had to leave Varian behind. So they took the long route, overland, on foot. But they finally arrived.

Gadget stood in the center of the open plaza, surveying the ruined buildings lining the street.

"See?" she chirped to her companion. "Like I said, a bunch of abandoned nightclubs. They were once state-of-the-art, so I'm guessing there's a lot of useful stuff still here. Plus, nobody ever comes here now, so we can work with no interruptions."

It was the perfect place for their experiments in sonics. Together they'd had the idea that sound waves of some kind might affect the barrier that kept them all inside the parks. Now it was time to work on testing that theory.

Post by Varian on Feb 4, 2019 0:43:24 GMT -5

The young alchemist looked around at the abandoned buildings before him. He couldn’t believe this place was just abandoned and left to rot away. He felt like he was back in his village when the black rocks ravaged it. He felt a deep pain in his heart as he thought about his home but shook it off quickly to hide it from Gadget.

“It seems like your correct, Gadget. This wouldn’t be the first time I worked in a broken down place like this,” Varian said as he picked her up and placed her on his shoulder. He looked around each building carefully until he stumbled upon, what seemed to be abandoned building filled with spare parts. He looked down at Gadget with a concerned look, “Are you sure no one else is here? Because this is a lot of spare parts here and I’m assuming they didn’t all migrate here on their own.”

Post by Scar on Feb 5, 2019 21:56:22 GMT -5

Scar padded around the empty halls of Pleasure Island. The stone structures built by the humans were not so different form the rocks and canyons of the Pridelands, he thought.

Scar had adapted well to his new environment. He had little to do all day, which suited him fine. The occasional bird or rat that strayed to this out-of-the-way place made a tasty snack, while the bulk of his diet was supplied by the duck. This also suited Scar, who didn't mind hunting for pleasure once in a while, but much preferred to be served.

The one thing lacking here was the adulation of loyal subjects. The duck was barely civil and acknowledged no greatness save what he imagined he possessed. The two plotted together and tolerated each other, but that was all.

Now his nose told him of the presence of a couple of strangers. Peering through a weedy bush, Scar silently watched the human and mouse, effectively screened from discovery.

Post by Gadget on Feb 7, 2019 18:57:07 GMT -5

From her vantage point on Varian's shoulder, Gadget got a good look at her surroundings. It seemed to be the perfect place for them to set up shop.

Are you sure no one else is here? Because this is a lot of spare parts here and I’m assuming they didn’t all migrate here on their own.

With a shrug, she answered, "All the online files list this place as abandoned and unused. I can't imagine why anybody would want to hang around here. Unless its to experiment with sound waves in hope of breaking through the barrier and getting back home, of course."

" 'Neon Armadillo'," Gadget read off a sign hanging at a crazy angle. "What do you think? I've never seen a neon armadillo. Or any neon animal. But it sounds like as good a place as any to set up."

Tool box in hand, the little mouse pointed to the closest building, unaware that she was being watched.

Post by Varian on Feb 7, 2019 19:33:37 GMT -5

"All the online files list this place as abandoned and unused. I can't imagine why anybody would want to hang around here. Unless its to experiment with sound waves in hope of breaking through the barrier and getting back home, of course."

Varian looked at his companion with a raised brow. He wasn't sure what these online files were but they sounded important. He could, however, imagine the kind of people would want to hang around this place. Criminals were the ones that came to mind as he though on the subject. "I suppose that's true but it could still be dangerous if we're not careful," he cautioned her as they ventured forth.

"What do you think? I've never seen a neon armadillo. Or any neon animal. But it sounds like as good a place as any to set up."

"A neon armadillo or any animal is scientifically impossible. But you're right, this does look like a good place to set up," Varian said as he walked towards the building in question. Once there, he held up his staff as a source of light for them to see. He cautiously entered the building with Gadget as the uneasiness began to grow.

Post by Scar on Feb 11, 2019 18:58:21 GMT -5

Well, now, trespassers would have to be dealt with. Although Scar wasn't really in the mood for any exercise, these two moved inside one of the buildings; that would make them easy prey, requiring very little effort on the lion's part.

Hauling himself to his feet, he made his leisurely way to the structure in question, sauntering in to block the doorway and prevent any premature exits.

this does look like a good place to set up

"I think not," Scar replied. "This place is already occupied." His voice was rich with menace, though he smiled slightly. He couldn't understand from their conversation exactly what they were up to, this odd pair, but then, Scar didn't really care. Whatever it was, he wasn't about to let them accomplish it.

Post by Gadget on Feb 11, 2019 19:06:45 GMT -5

Once inside, Gadget hopped down from Varian's shoulder to the floor. The place was roomy, though the furnishings were a wreck. But what could you expect from a place that'd been closed for years?

"We'll have to clear away a lot of stuff to make room to work," she said.

I think not

That voice didn't sound like Varian's...

Gadget turned around to see the door blocked by--

"Golly! A lion!" Not exactly the kind of animal you expected to see walking around Florida. He was just standing there, not moving towards them, though his voice was definitely threatening. But Gadget preferred to talk her way out of a confrontation if possible.

This place is already occupied.

"We're sorry, um, sir. We were just looking for someplace where we wouldn't bother anybody. We didn't know somebody was living here. I'm Gadget, and this is Varian." She tried to be as friendly as possible.

Post by Varian on Feb 13, 2019 23:41:41 GMT -5

Varian turned when he heard the menacing voice and froze in place. There was a giant cat staring at them and that made him feel unsafe. He wanted to run but the only exit was blocked by the large and ferocious feline. He picked up his staff that he dropped and pointed it at the lion.

“We’re sorry, um, sir. We were just looking for someplace where we wouldn’t bother anybody. We didn’t know somebody was living here.”

“Yea...hi. Listen, we don’t want any trouble. We just need a place to work,” Varian said as he glared with a look that said ‘I don’t trust you’. He gripped his staff as if his life depended on it and it just might. He pulled out one of his sticky balls with his free hand and threw it at the lion’s paws. The chemical compound ensnared the beast in his place.

Post by Scar on Feb 15, 2019 18:00:57 GMT -5

We were just looking for someplace where we wouldn't bother anybody. We didn't know somebody was living here. I'm Gadget, and this is Varian.

"How charming," answered the lion with mock courtesy. "And I am Scar." So nice to know the names of your victims, he thought to himself, before they became a meal. And dessert.

"But, as you may have noticed, though a trifle too late, this place is occupied. And you are most certainly...bothering someone."

Listen, we don’t want any trouble.

This was followed by the human throwing something. Foolish boy! A mighty lion would not be harmed by that tiny thing. When it struck the ground, however, it expanded into some sticky mess.

"Liar!" Scar hissed, straining to pull his front paws free. "You claim innocence and then attack!" And he bellowed out his rage in a mighty roar calculated to bring the rest of his somewhat unorthodox pride. Meaning the duck.

Post by Negaduck on Feb 15, 2019 18:08:36 GMT -5

Negaduck was working away when he heard the roar. Uh-oh, sounded like trouble. Normally, Scar would be able to handle anything that wandered too close to the hideout; that's why Negaduck kept a lion around. But he never roared like that before. Something must be up.

Leaving his work, Negaduck stuffed a few extra weapons into his pockets before taking off toward the sound. Coming from that Armadillo building. Preferring the direct approach, the duck let loose with a savate kick that sent the door flying off its hinges.

It only took a half-second to assess the situation.

Leveling a laser cannon at the pair of intruders, Negaduck snarled, "Freeze, losers! Don't move anything you don't want blown off!" He could see Scar's predicament with his peripheral vision while still covering the kid and mouse.

Post by Gadget on Feb 16, 2019 21:39:40 GMT -5

"Right. And if we're trespassing, we'll be glad to leave this place to you and find some other spot." So far so good; maybe the lion wouldn't attack if they explained things.

But then Varian threw something. Gadget tried, but she was too slow to stop him.

"No! Varian, don't! We could've settled this without fighting!" Now it was too late. Or, maybe not.

"We're real sorry, Mr. Scar. We can get that stuff off you in a jiffy. What is it?" The question part was directed to Varian, "An elastic polymer? Casein-based? Styrine?" Hopefully they could get the right chemicals to dissolve it and keep the lion from getting mad.

But that hope became moot when a really big duck, the semi-human kind, burst in with a gun pointed right at them!

Don't move anything you don't want blown off!

Gadget tried again, being careful not to make any sudden moves.

"We're awfully sorry, Mister. We didn't mean to bother anybody. We thought this place was abandoned. We'll be happy to leave it to you."

Post by Varian on Feb 18, 2019 0:21:33 GMT -5

“No! Varian, don’! We could’ve settled this without fighting!”

“Well, excuse me for not trusting a talking cat that was probably going to eat us as soon as we lowered our guard,” Varian said harshly as he pointed his staff at Scar. He was obvious he was now annoyed with the situation that they were in.

“We’re awfully sorry, Mr. Scar. We can get that stuff off you in a jiffy. What is it.”

He put a hand on his hip and looked at Gadget, “Let me see if I’m understanding you correctly: you want me to free a potentially dangerous large cat that is probably going to eat us?” He pulled out the neutralizing powder just in case when Negaduck bursted in.

“Freeze, loser! Don’t move anything you don’t want blown off!”

“A water fowl with some sort of portable cannon? Well, that’s a new one,” Varian said with an annoyed tone. He walked up to Negaduck and shoved the vial into the duck’s hand. “Listen, Mister duckman or whatever you call yourself. I don’t have time for you or your baggage. I just want to go home and save my dad. Princess Rapunzel has more bite than you do so do me a favor and stay out of my way,” He sassed him with a glare. He wasn’t going to let some duck get in his way.

Post by Negaduck on Feb 18, 2019 17:13:22 GMT -5

<<The sass is okay, but Negaduck's reaction will be violent. Be prepared.>>

Negaduck had the duo covered; they couldn't possibly attack him the way they did Scar without him getting off the first shot. But then the kid did something so unexpected:

Listen, Mister duckman or whatever you call yourself. I don’t have time for you or your baggage. I just want to go home and save my dad. Princess Rapunzel has more bite than you do so do me a favor and stay out of my way

"Seriously? You barge into my hideout and then dis the guy who's about to blow you back to whatever Fantasyland you come from?!? Junior, you've got a lot to learn." At least the rodent showed a little of the proper respect.

The mouthy adolescent put something into Negaduck's free hand, probably a weapon. Grabbing Varian by the shirt front, Negs shoved him back against the nearest wall. He then blasted the floor tiles near scar with one hand while hurling the vial at the kid's feet with the other. The glass shattered, dousing the trespasser with whatever he meant for Negaduck.

As for Scar, even with some broken tiles stuck to his feet, he should be able to move around now. Good thing Negaduck's laser could fire with pinpoint accuracy.

Post by Scar on Feb 23, 2019 11:29:41 GMT -5

(Looks like the order got slightly messed up. I hope that's okay)

Scar was infuriated! What was this muck that pinioned his front paws! pulling and tugging did no good, so he continued to roar in frustration. And it worked; the duck made an appearance, even using one of his lightning-sticks to break up the ground. Scar was still stuck to the bits of stone, but at least he could move.

He intended to pounce on the human and rend him limb from limb, but the duck got to him first. So Scar turned his attentions to the snack rodent.

We thought this place was abandoned. We'll be happy to leave it to you.

"Too late for that, little one. Now you won't be leaving at all," he snarled, advancing on the mouse.

Post by Gadget on Feb 23, 2019 11:39:05 GMT -5

you want me to free a potentially dangerous large cat that is probably going to eat us?

"We shouldn't attack anybody before we understand the situation. Even predators can be reasoned with. Sometimes." Maybe it was more like wishful thinking, but Gadget did believe that talking things out could result in avoiding violence. Anyway, it was worth a try.

But it seemed to be too late now. Gadget watched helplessly as the situation went from bad to worse. The duck had Varian up against a wall, and the lion had her in his sights.

Gadget gave a squeak and ran for an opening in the baseboard. It wasn't a true mouse hole, just a crack in the plaster, but she should be safe behind it. She hoped Varian didn't think she was running out on him, but the little mouse needed space to think. She had to invent something to save them.

Post by Varian on Mar 15, 2019 22:24:40 GMT -5

Varian gave Negaduck an annoyed and slightly angry look as he crossed his arms, “Wow. Real mature. I give you the neutralizing partial to free your pet or whatever he is to you and throw me against the wall. Listen, I just need a place to work, nothing more.” He looks around and noticed his raccoon hidden in the corner and smirked.

“Perhaps I need to demonstrate my many abilities,” Varian said in a cool voice as he pulled out a small orb and rolled it over to Ruddiger. Ruddiger crawled out and sniffed the orb before he ate it. He growls a bit as he begins to transform into a monstrous raccoon beast then gave a deafening roar. The beast looked down at Negaduck and Scar in anger.

{{I apologize for the delay. I’ve been busy with doctor appointments.}}

Post by Negaduck on Mar 19, 2019 17:44:37 GMT -5

Okay, so busting the bottle was probably a mistake. But assuming the worst was Negaduck's go-to reaction, and he was usually not far wrong.

I give you the neutralizing partial to free your pet or whatever he is to you and throw me against the wall.

"I'm gonna throw you through the wall, squirt, if you don't curb that mouth." The kid had guts, but that alone was no reason not to spill 'em.

Perhaps I need to demonstrate my many abilities

Negaduck watched the demonstration with interest, but no fear. He thought the monster an improvement over the cute forest creature.

"Nice. And is Raccoon-zilla smart enough to know that you'll be dead five seconds before he can touch me?" Maybe he'd misjudged this one. But who could blame him? Eighty pounds of punk in geeky goggles didn't exactly scream 'super-villain' on first glance. "Turn him back and we'll talk about it."

Over his shoulder, he called to the lion, "Scar, don't eat the rat. Yet."

Post by Scar on Mar 21, 2019 20:11:44 GMT -5

Scar was not pleased. He hated to be treated with disrespect by these interlopers. the proper solution was, of course, to kill them.

The mouse at least had enough sense to be afraid. She ran into a crevasse too small for a lion's paw. Frustrated, Scar tried to claw a wider opening, but the composition of the wall thwarted him. He might just have to eat the human instead.

A strange scent distracted the lion, and when he turned around, Scar saw something that made his blood run cold. An animal so huge it filled the room! What was it? Where had it come from? And most importantly, was it hungry? Scar shrank back toward the wall, eyes staring.

Post by Gadget on Mar 22, 2019 17:21:34 GMT -5

Too late for that, little one. Now you won't be leaving at all

That was the last thing Gadget heard before she ducked into the crack in the wall. Once inside, she leaned against the cracked plaster trying to catch her breath. It had been a close call. And as for poor Varian, anything could be happening to him! Well jumping into a lion's mouth wouldn't help anybody. She needed some kind of plan.

The brainy mouse pulled a flashlight out of her tool box and shined it around. It was a small space, not even big enough to live in. But the general disrepair of the building meant that there were plenty of holes and breaks she could fit through to travel throughout the building. Maybe she could find something that would be useful in rescuing Varian.

Gadget couldn't hear what was going on out in the main room. She squeezed through another crack to see where it would take her.

Post by Varian on Mar 24, 2019 23:48:25 GMT -5

Varian smiled and looked up at Ruddiger, “Ready to change back?” The monstrous raccoon made a small nod to his human in response. The young alchemist pulled out another orb and gave it to the beast. He had made a reversal elixir after the recent incident with Mateo at Coronado Springs. He looked to Negaduck as Ruddiger reverted back to his true form and smiled, “You’re not the first person to throw me against the wall. The last time I was throw against something it was, I believe, a giant automaton about over 200 pounds.”

Varian finds a chair among the rubble and pulled it out to sit on it. He crossed his arms and sighed, “Now then....shall we talk, my nefarious water fowl?”

Post by Negaduck on Mar 29, 2019 17:31:25 GMT -5

The raccoon turned back, right on cue. It looked like this kid's potions were pretty reliable, and that would make them useful.

Pulling up a chair of his own, Negaduck took a load off before beginning.

"So, you're a villain." It wasn't a question. But that doesn't mean the duck didn't have plenty of those in reserve. "What was all that hearts-and-sunshine garbage your rodent friend was spouting? There's nothing evil about that goody-good pipsqueak. I have to wonder why you'd hang around with that kind of a Pollyanna."

"Exactly what kind of work are you planning?"

And finally--

"A word of advice: lose the raccoon. Too cutesy. Ever consider a pet alligator?" Visions of a giant gator lumbering through the park brought a smile to Negaduck's bill.

Post by Scar on Apr 2, 2019 20:04:03 GMT -5

Scar let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. The raccoon was back down to ordinary size.

And now that the danger was passed, the lion was royally ticked off. First, he wasn't too thrilled that the others had seen him lose his nerve at the sight of the giant furball. Second, he'd lost any chance of catching the mouse by this time. Add to that, his so-called ally was acting rather chummy with the human who had dared to attack him. This did not seem to Scar to show the correct respect on Negaduck's part.

Besides which, it looked like they were beginning a conference, and no one thought to include him. This partnership was not going as planned.

Scar slunk over to within earshot of the duck and the human, scowling his displeasure.

Post by Gadget on Apr 4, 2019 19:56:02 GMT -5

Gadget managed to slip through a series of cracks and holes until she emerged in a shadowy room crammed with stuff. The utilitarian aspect of the place told her it wasn't a tourist area. More likely an old storage room. And there were no villains in sight.

That seemed like a good place to find the raw materials needed for...what? Gadget's first solution to any problem was an invention. Now she had to think up something that would enable her to rescue Varian. If not for him, she would just find an exit and run for it. But she couldn't leave him; he was just a kid.

The little mouse poked through boxes and under tarps until inspiration struck. Then she went to work.

Toad: Dash: I'm sure we can arrange it so the Parrs's stay in Toad Hall is only temporary. I guess I'll start that other thread to show you what's up with the place. It's only me RPing with my own characters.May 6, 2019 15:21:41 GMT -5